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SECTION A: READING 1

READING 1: WARM-UP

Task A

Use the clues given in parentheses to complete the following sentences with phrases from the box.

• set upon • culminate in • assist in • branch off from • stray from • switch into • are inclined to • ward off

1. While conversing in a second language, people often their native language when expressing strong emotions, such as anger or surprise. (change to)

2. The paparazzi him every time he set foot outside. (suddenly attack or chase)

3. When arguing your point of view, try to stay on topic and not the main point. (go in the wrong direction)

4. Most people questioned said they believe any news story, no matter how strange, as long as it appeared on their preferred social networking site. (tend to)

5. We decided to the main highway and follow the back roads into town. (follow a different route)

6. Sniffer dogs can finding earthquake victims trapped underneath building debris. (lend a hand)

7. Exercising regularly is an excellent way to those wintertime blues. (keep away)

8. What seems like endless scientific investigation can groundbreaking discoveries. (finally lead to)

Task B

Identify the ‘odd word out’ in each group of sentences by matching the words in bold to the descriptions below, as in the example.

1. a. Perhaps the most important attribute teachers must possess is patience.

b. Fuel economy is a very important feature to consider when buying a new car.

c. For many people, the main benefit of travelling abroad is that it broadens their minds.

that relate to a characteristic of something: /

that relates to an advantage of something:

2. a. The researchers picked people at random and asked them to respond to different pieces of music.

b. The practice called ‘selective breeding’ involves choosing animals to breed based on their characteristics.

c. It has been shown that by focusing the mind we can consciously control certain bodily functions.

that relate to something done according to a fixed intention: /

that relates to something not done according to a fixed intention:

4 The Natural World

attribute featurebenefit

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3. a. The most successful societies are those that welcome foreigners into their midst.

b. The bond between couples can be strengthened when they are apart for a length of time.

c. The team spotted one lone tiger who was hunting the area for prey on her own.

that relate to the notion of being together: /

that relates to being separate from others:

5. a. You never know what dangers can be lurking just around the corner, so it’s best to stay on guard.

b. Though she tried to seem optimistic, I could detect a tone of disappointment in her voice.

c. They hid behind a parked car, waiting for the right moment to steal into the empty office.

that relate to hiding: /

that relates to noticing something:

6. a. In a move to increase efficiency, the two neighboring city districts are to merge into one next year.

b. Over time, children’s interests, once so similar, begin to diverge, as each child takes on his or her own identity.

c. Our private personas, as distinct from our public personas, are key to understanding our true nature.

d. People from such disparate backgrounds often struggle to co-exist peacefully.

that relate to being different: / /

that relates to no longer being separate:

Task C

Decide whether the statements below are true (T) or false (F), as in the example.

1. A mutually beneficial business deal is good for only one of the parties. T / F

2. A theory that is ultimately proven correct was accepted from the start. T / F

3. The words ‘approximately’ and ‘about’ are roughly the same in meaning. T / F

4. We instinctively blink when a speck of dust gets into our eyes. T / F

5. The female Black Widow spider devours the male, meaning she eats it. T / F

6. Plants need water and sunlight to thrive. T / F

7. Well-fed dogs are likely to be ravenous. T / F

8. A change that takes one hundred years lasts over the course of a century. T / F

9. Most painters share a distinctive style. T / F

10. It takes a long time to travel between far-flung areas. T / F

11. You can pick up a scent with your eyes. T / F

12. A painting that shows a vast array of colors is mostly black and white. T / F

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Reading 1

Read the passage below. Then, answer the multiple-choice questions that follow.

1. In paragraph one, which word is closest in meaning to ‘threat’?

a. menace b. constant c. distant d. aggressive

2. Why were wolves a danger to early humans? a. They spread sickness in settlements. b. They fought with domesticated dogs. c. They stole food from humans. d. They killed weak humans.

3. What was the effect of less adrenaline in the blood of some wolves?

a. They developed a keener sense of smell. b. They were better at hunting. c. They became friendlier to humans. d. They became more aggressive to other wolves.

4. What was one reason humans decided to bring wolves into their group?

a. They could be used for protection. b. They were a source of meat. c. They ate up unwanted scraps of food. d. They helped to tame wolf packs.

5. How did new breeds of dog first come about? a. through the practice of selective breeding b. through mixing of breeds from different continents c. through a genetic mutation d. by scientifically manipulating genes of wolves

This passage is about the evolution of dogs.

The distant ancestors of the domestic dog were anything but ‘man’s best friend.’ Like other predators, wolves are highly aggressive and instinctively switch into ‘fight or flight’ mode in the presence of other animals, due to a high blood concentration of adrenaline. Ravenous packs were a constant menace to early humans, lurking around settlements and setting upon lone victims who strayed from the group. Some even stole into the settlements under cover of darkness, to drag off and devour the newborn, the elderly, and the sick.

At some point, due to some random genetic mutation, a group of wolves were born with lower adrenaline counts, making them more well-disposed towards their human neighbors. Upon detecting the scent of meat being roasted over an open fire, these wolves would have been inclined to approach, without fear or aggression, in the hopes that the odd scrap might be tossed their way. Humans, for their part, soon perceived the benefits of bringing these animals into their midst. They could assist in hunting, could ward off dangerous animals (including other wolves), and – no less significant – they could provide loyal and playful companionship. As a result of this mutually beneficial bond, these tamed canines thrived, ultimately diverging from their wolf cousins and branching off onto a new evolutionary path as a distinct species: the dog.

This process took place independently, at roughly the same time, in various areas. Ancient canine skeletal remains dating from approximately the same period have been unearthed in areas as far-flung as Europe and China. When humans from these disparate areas first came into contact, their dogs bred together, and their distinctive features merged into new hybrid generations. Humans eventually learned to consciously manipulate this mingling, using ‘selective breeding’ to produce new dog breeds with specific attributes. Over the course of centuries, this practice has culminated in the vast array of dog varieties we see today.

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SECTION B: BUILD UP YOUR READING SKILLS

Reading Skills: Understanding from Context

The meaning of certain words and phrases is linked to the sentence or the series of sentences of which they are a part. The reader must therefore have a clear idea of the wider context – either the specific sentence in which the word features, or the series of sentences that constitute a single ‘train of thought’ – in order to understand these lexical items. There are frequently ECPE questions that test your ability to do this.

Consider the last word of the previous paragraph: ‘this’. This word ‘points to’ a previous feature of the text. A typical ECPE Reading question might be: ‘In the last sentence of paragraph one, what does the word ‘this’ refer to?’ In order to answer this question correctly, you need to have grasped the idea being developed in this part of the text.

You may also have to take into account contextual clues in order to decipher the meaning of low-frequency words that you are not familiar with, or to understand which meaning of a word that has multiple meanings applies in a particular case. Take the word ‘decipher’, in the previous sentence: a quite uncommon word whose meaning (‘interpret’) should nevertheless be clear if you are following the idea in this paragraph about working out meaning. Also consider the word ‘applies’, two sentences before this one. The verb ‘apply’ can mean a number of things, but you can understand the relevant meaning in this case (‘is relevant’) provided you understand the sentence as a whole and the idea in that part of the text.

Task A

Read paragraphs A and B below. Then, paying attention to the highlighted words, discuss the questions that follow each paragraph with a partner.

A. Wildlife documentaries are becoming an ever more mind-blowing viewing experience. Witness the latest stock of programs in which cutting edge camera technology affords vivid glimpses of natural life in even the most inaccessible regions of the planet. Yet these dazzling virtual tours of the natural world tend to blind us to a profoundly troubling fact: the natural world that we admire on our screens is on the verge of disappearance. Advocates of wildlife documentaries claim that these programs might help to avert this disappearance, by kindling the public’s fascination and love for nature and compelling them to support conservation. The statistics cast doubt on this, however: between 1971, when wildlife documentaries first started becoming popular, to the present day, there has been a 58% decline in vertebrate population abundance worldwide. Could it be that instead of acting as a wake-up call, wildlife documentaries actually make people complacent? “If the natural world were in peril, we wouldn’t be seeing such wonderful images of it on our TV screens, would we?”

1. What does the word ‘afford’ most often mean? What does it mean in this sentence?

2. According to the text, do wildlife documentaries increase or decrease people’s interest in nature? Bearing this in mind, what might it mean to ‘kindle’ someone’s love?

3. What idea does the word ‘this’ (in bold) refer to?

4. What does ‘complacent’ mean here? Consider (1) the term “wake-up call” in the same sentence, (2) the rhetorical question that follows this sentence, and (3) what the text describes as the effect of wildlife documentaries on people’s awareness of threats to species survival.

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B. Lobsters grow by going through successive stages of molting – that is, by shedding their exoskeletons and growing larger ones to accommodate their growing bodies. ‘Hard-shell’ lobsters are those that are fully-grown and no longer need to do this. By contrast, ‘soft-shell’ lobsters are those caught while undergoing molting. Their more delicate exoskeleton is bolstered by a sub-layer of sea water, which shields the tender flesh underneath but also has the unfortunate effect (for consumers) of making the cooked lobster’s meat taste rather bland. Soft-shell lobster is therefore cheaper; and since what is cheaper is more in demand, lobster catchers tend to target warmer areas inhabited by younger, molting lobsters. This has a disastrous impact on the environment and the future of the lobster.

1. What feature of lobsters does ‘this’ in the second sentence refer to?

2. What does ‘bland’ mean in this text? Consider the phrase “the unfortunate effect [of the sub-layer of sea water] (for consumers)” and the word ‘taste?’

3. What does ‘this’ in the last sentence refer to? What practice of lobster catchers does the previous sentence describe?

READING 2: WARM-UP

Task A

Identify the ‘odd word out’ in each group of sentences by matching the words in bold to the descriptions below, as in the example.

1. a. The company’s sales plummeted in the wake of the health scare.

b. This anti-bacterial soap completely eliminates harmful microorganisms.

c. Fish reproduce at a fast rate, as each female can lay hundreds of eggs at a time.

d. There are various theories as to why the dinosaurs died out.

verbs that relate to a decrease in number: / /

a verb that relates to an increase in number:

2. a. Making such a huge gamble would be decidedly unwise at this point.

b. Rumors of the incident spread rapidly online, so that most people had heard about it within the same afternoon.

c. She found that the legal profession was utterly different from what she had been led to expect as a student.

adverbs that describe the extent of something: /

an adverb that describe the speed at which something happens:

3. a. Since it does not produce harmful emissions, cycling is environmentally benign.

b. The rise of these totalitarian regimes is inimical to peace and democracy throughout the world.

c. In order to get ahead, you have to be ruthless and treat your competitors as you would enemies.

adjectives describing something that has a negative effect: /

an adjective describing something that does not have a negative effect:

2. a. The researchers picked people at random and asked them to respond to different pieces of music.

b. The practice called ‘selective breeding’ involves choosing animals to breed based on their characteristics.

c. It has been shown that by focusing the mind we can consciously control certain bodily functions.

according to a fixed intention: /

not done according to a fixed intention:

plummeted eliminatesdied out

reproduce

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4. a. In this part of the world, punishments for drug offenses are extremely harsh.

b. The ideology of maximum personal gain is insidious, slowly eating away at community values.

c. Once the harmful effects of asbestos came to light, this material had to be replaced with something innocuous.

adjectives describing something damaging: /

an adjective describing something that is not damaging:

5. a. In this profession, female employees predominate by a ratio of four women to one man.

b. In the middle of the decade, books on this subject proliferated, filling book store shelves everywhere.

c. The best way to eradicate juvenile crime is to provide adequate recreational opportunities for young people.

verbs that relate to the presence of something in large numbers or amounts: /

one verb that relates to the removal or destruction of something:

Task B

For each set of items, match each phrase on the left to the equivalent phrase on the right, as in the example.

1. 1. dwelling in inhospitable regions a. making it difficult for cars to pass

2. interfering with the traffic b. representing about one third

3. attempting to reverse a decline c. living in areas with harsh conditions

4. accounting for roughly 33% d. trying to bring the numbers back up again

2. 1. a song associated with a TV series a. a piece of equipment made no longer useful

2. a region afflicted by famine b. a solution to illness that is bound to be effective

3. a device rendered obsolete c. a piece of music that reminds people of a show

4. a cure guaranteed to work d. an area badly affected by lack of food

3. 1. an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria a. an increase in cases of people who test positive

2. a rising incidence of infection b. a type of micro-organism immune to drugs

3. a government initiative to promote c. a public program aimed to encourage people to dispose recycling of non-organic waste properly

4. 1. a festival that is underway a. an artist with an unparalleled gift

2. a painter with incomparable talent b. an educator good at making students want to succeed

3. a teacher adept at motivating students c. an event that has started and is already in progress

4. a law that effectively punishes the d. legislation whose actual effect is to penalize those who unemployed are out of work

c

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Reading 2

Read the passage below. Then, answer the multiple-choice questions that follow.

This passage is about a type of bacteria.

Wolbachia is a type of bacteria that infects insects. This bacteria can only pass from one generation of hosts to the next by dwelling in the egg cells of females; the sperm cells of the males are too tiny for this purpose. In order to proliferate more rapidly, Wolbachia therefore eliminates male members of host populations, leaving only female carriers. It does this through a range of strategies that could most aptly be described, in human terms, as utterly ruthless, yet stunningly ingenious. In some cases, Wolbachia interferes with male hormones, transforming male insects into females. In others, it causes females to reproduce by cloning themselves instead of mating with a male; the male insects, rendered obsolete, soon die out.

Some strains of Wolbachia are less harsh on male insects and more inimical to females. By means of a process called ‘cytoplasmic incompatibility,’ non-carrier females can only mate with Wolbachia-free males. Infected females, meanwhile, gain a competitive advantage since they can reproduce with both infected and non-infected mates. Over time, Wolbachia carriers naturally predominate, ultimately accounting for 100% of the host population.

Despite the somewhat insidious and aggressive tactics it employs in order to flourish throughout a host population, most strains of Wolbachia are perfectly innocuous once established. In fact, this bacteria is not just benign, but decidedly beneficial where humans are concerned. Mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia do not harbor bacteria that cause infections usually associated with this insect, such as yellow fever. Wolbachia wipes out these bacteria, effectively rendering host mosquitoes perfectly harmless. An initiative is now underway to encourage the spread of Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes in areas afflicted by yellow fever. Attempting to eradicate a disease spread by mosquitoes by introducing even more mosquitoes may seem counter-intuitive. Once Wolbachia successfully proliferates – as it is so incomparably adept at doing – the incidence of yellow fever is guaranteed to plummet, however.

1. What is the main subject of this passage? a. the dangerous effects of Wolbachia infection on insect

populations b. the role insects such as mosquitoes play in spreading

Wolbachia infection c. the direct effects of Wolbachia on sufferers of diseases

such as yellow fever d. the ways Wolbachia propagates itself and a particular

use for this bacteria

2. In the second sentence of paragraph one, what action of Wolbachia does “this purpose” refer to?

a. destroying sperm cells in infected males b. multiplying in both male and female cells c. encouraging the growth of female egg cells d. finding a way to enter the next generation of insects

3. How does Wolbachia affect female insects? a. It changes the gender of infected females. b. It causes females to die out. c. It makes it easier for infected females to reproduce. d. It prevents infected females from cloning themselves.

4. What is the aim of the programs mentioned in paragraph 3?

a. to discover the means by which Wolbachia eliminates disease agents

b. to make sure Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes outnumber non-infected ones

c. to protect people from yellow fever by infecting them with Wolbachia

d. to reduce the rate of Wolbachia infection among mosquito populations

5. What is the writer’s attitude to Wolbachia bacteria? a. She admires the effective ways it increases in number. b. She sees this bacteria as an example of how cruel

nature can be. c. She is fearful about the risks of Wolbachia infection

among people. d. She is concerned about the threat Wolbachia poses for

mosquitoes.

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SECTION C: BUILD UP YOUR VOCABULARY

Related Words: Words with Similar Meanings

Let’s consider two closely related words from Reading 2:

“…most strains of Wolbachia are perfectly innocuous once established.” “In fact, this bacteria is not just benign but decidedly beneficial…”

The words ‘innocuous’ and ‘benign’ are both formal words. They are both adjectives that can go before or after the nouns they

describe. They both mean, in broad terms, ‘harmless,’ and they can both also mean ‘innocent’ and ‘inoffensive’ (e.g. ‘an innocuous

comment’ or ‘a benign remark’). However, unlike the word ‘innocuous,’ the word ‘benign’ can also be used to describe people or

their actions as ‘kind’ and ‘well-intentioned’ (e.g. ‘a benign dictator’).

Grouping words together on the basis of their similarities can help us to acquire a large vocabulary quickly, as we pick up not just

individual words, but groups of related words. Nevertheless, it is often the case that these words are not exact synonyms that can

be used interchangeably. Despite their similarities, each may have subtly different shades of meaning; different secondary meanings;

different grammatical features; or a different register (i.e. formal or informal). It may also be that one word forms part of a fixed

phrase (e.g. ‘raw materials’) while a similar word (e.g. ‘uncooked’) does not. It is good to be aware of these differences, as they

often determine which option in an ECPE Vocabulary question is the right answer and which ones are distractors.

Task A

The items below each consist of three sentences: one in which both words in bold are correct, and two in which only one of these words is correct. For each item, circle the correct words in each sentence, as in the example.

1. a. There are heavy fines for surpassing / exceeding the speed limit in this city zone.

b. The fantastic theater performance surpassed / exceeded the critics’ expectations.

c. In order to break last year’s record, we really have to surpass / exceed ourselves.

2. a It takes considerable skill to run / manage a large business.

b. Can we quickly run / manage through the procedure, so that I fully understand it?

c. I’m sure we can run / manage the situation and prevent it from becoming an emergency.

3. a. This is an excellent employment chance / opportunity for recent graduates.

b. The only thing I regret is that I didn’t get the chance / opportunity to travel more.

c. We don’t stand a chance / opportunity of winning against such formidable opponents.

4. a. Each ticket to the annual ball acknowledges / admits two guests.

b. I said ‘Good morning’ and smiled but she didn’t even acknowledge / admit me.

c. The manager acknowledged / admitted that serious mistakes had been made on his part.

5. a. Are you suggesting / implying that I am to blame for this mess?!

b. Being a teacher suggests / implies a certain knowledge of psychology.

c. Daniel suggested / implied scrapping the plan and devising a new one.

6. a. The bridge spans a broad / wide section of the river.

b. I consider myself a broad / wide –minded person who respects other people’s life choices.

c. These population figures are broad / wide off the mark. The actual number is much higher.

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7. a. Debts soon begin to gather / accumulate if you fail to keep up with loan repayments.

b. He’s been to hundreds of record stores and has gathered / accumulated a huge collection.

c. From what was said in the meeting yesterday, I gather / accumulate people aren’t happy.

8. a. I wish they would quit / resign complaining all the time!

b. After her employers refused to give her a raise, she quit / resigned.

c. He quit / resigned himself to the fact that he would never be as successful as his father.

9. a. The Professor’s speech was greeted with keen / enthusiastic applause.

b. Rob has a keen / an enthusiastic mind; he is highly intelligent.

c. It’s a pleasure for any teacher to work with a group of such keen / enthusiastic students.

10. a. The team are trying to repair a serious flaw / fault in the bridge’s design.

b. It’s ok to be kind to people but sometimes you’re generous to a flaw / fault.

c. It’s not your flaw / fault if the boss is too blind to see how clever your suggestion is.

11. a. With his excellent work ethic, Brian is a property / an asset to our sales team.

b. The company made $200m from property / asset sales, making up for declining profits.

c. The theme park company is not responsible for loss of visitors’ personal property / assets.

12. a. I would propose / advise a rethink of the policy, which is clearly not working.

b. As your attorney, I propose / advise you to take legal action against your employers.

c. After three years, he decided the time had come to propose / advise to his girlfriend.

13. a. In a means / way, friends are even more important than family.

b. Meditation can be an effective means / way of improving your mental powers.

c. He believes the end justifies the means / way, sometimes breaking rules to achieve a goal.

14. a. Forensic examination showed the victim had been shot with a 20 gauge / caliber shotgun.

b. Steve is due to retire and we will have trouble finding a replacement of his gauge / caliber.

c. A person’s body language is a good gauge / caliber of whether or not that person is lying.

15. a. Only a person as futile / vain as her would upload selfies every single day.

b. Why waste time in a futile / vain attempt to fix the mistakes made in the past?

c. Our attempts to rescue the relationship were all in futile / vain, and we finally split up.

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Focus On Word Form: ‘in-‘, ‘im-‘, ‘il-‘, and ‘ir-‘

Many English words begin with ‘in-,‘ ‘im-,‘ ‘il-,‘ and ‘ir-.‘ These could be prefixes added to a root word to form its opposite (e.g.

the word ‘irresponsible’ means the opposite of ‘responsible’). This is not always the case, however. Consider an example from

Reading 2: “This it does through a range of strategies that could most aptly be described, in human terms, as utterly ruthless yet stunning-ly ingenious.”

We cannot remove the ‘in’ from ‘ingenious,’ as there is no such word as ‘genious’; ‘in’ is not a negative prefix, therefore. The

same may apply even when ‘in’ can be removed from the beginning of a word to form another word. For example, ‘invaluable’ is

not the negative form of ‘valuable’ – in fact, ‘invaluable’ means ‘extremely valuable!’

Task B

Identify which sentences below contain a word with a negative prefix. Put a check mark next to the sentences that contain the negative prefixes.

1. A judge ruled that the marriage was illegitimate because the wife was under age.

2. Most of the words were indecipherable, but now I can understand what the rappers are saying.

3. The film is based on the life of an infamous gangster.

4. Passengers are not allowed to travel with inflammable objects that could cause a fire hazard.

5. These arguments against state healthcare are invalid and are mostly based on lies.

6. Without his invaluable advice, I doubt I would have made it this far in my career.

7. Not once did these fearless civil rights campaigners lose their indomitable spirit.

8. Due to concerns about safety, the theme park is to be closed indefinitely.

9. Based on infallible statistical analysis, these findings are completely accurate.

10. The series irreverently pokes fun at ideas that are supposed to be taken seriously.

11. The same work opportunities should be open to everyone irrespective of gender.

12. The new song was so similar to the original as to constitute infringement of copyright.

13. I found it impossible to concentrate due to the incessant noise coming from outside.

14. She’s only been learning the language for a couple of years but already her English is impeccable.

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Focus on sounds: the vowel sound [oʊ] (American English) / [əʊ] (British English)

The sound [oʊ] / [əʊ] (as in ‘know’ and ‘control’) is a distinctive English vowel sound that is key to the pronunciation of many

important words. There are examples in Reading 1 and Reading 2: “lone victims who strayed from the group” (Reading 1)“infections usually associated with this insect” (Reading 2)

Task C

Complete the sentences below with the correct word from the box.

• dough • ownership • full-blown • tone • explosion • condoning • loan • roam • sown • moaning • wholly • eroding • hone • solely • narrow

1. If you don’t stand up against racist prejudice then you are effectively it.

2. Daily practice sessions allow members of the team to fully their skills.

3. After 1970 there was a population , due to a rapid rise in the birth rate.

4. There is concern that modern culture is traditional family values.

5. Do you think you could me a few dollars until the end of the month?

6. You should speak in a more friendly when addressing customers.

7. The English person constantly about the weather is a stereotype.

8. The seeds of our current social problems were back in the 1950s.

9. Sporadic fighting among the crowd soon escalated into a riot.

10. Animals should be free to in the wild, not confined to cages for our amusement.

11. It would be inappropriate to ask a colleague to lend you money.

12. You need to take of your duties, and see them through to the end.

13. Making sure that all tasks are completed on time are your responsibility.

14. To make the bread, you first need to kneed the .

15. The house was found at the end of a street.

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Focus on: Adverbs 2

Complex adverbs are frequently tested in the Vocabulary section of the ECPE examination. There are examples of such adverbs in

Reading 1 and Reading 2:“skeletal remains dating from approximately the same period” (Reading 1)“Wolbachia wipe out these bacteria, effectively rendering host mosquitoes perfectly harmless.” (Reading 2)

Task D

Match sentences 1-10 with their paraphrases in a-j, as in the example.

1. In the grand scheme of things, modern technology is still a fairly recent phenomenon.

2. This novel is arguably the most important to have been written so far this century.

3. This trend was immensely popular among teenagers in the 1960s.

4. You should ideally explore this topic towards the end of your dissertation.

5. Single parents who are solely responsible for raising children should receive state aid.

6. The exam questions get progressively more difficult the further candidates progress.

7. Achieving success inevitably involves making some mistakes at first.

8. Although I was initially quite sceptical, the event turned out to be a huge success.

9. We’ve been through difficulties before and this problem is relatively minor.

10. The writer of the article is thoroughly convinced that an improvement is imminent.

a. The government should provide support to parents who are taking care of children alone.

b. It would be best to discuss this subject in the latter part of your final academic thesis.

c. Despite have my doubts at first, the event proved to be highly successful.

d. It could be claimed that this work of fiction surpasses all others written in this period.

e. The test items become increasingly challenging as you go through the paper.

f. When you look at things in the larger context, modern technology is still quite new.

g. The person who authored this piece completely believes that things are about to get better.

h. Compared to the other challenges we’ve faced, this one isn’t particularly great.

i. If you want to reach your goal, you can’t avoid some errors in the beginning.

j. This clothing style enjoyed huge popularity among young people in the mid-half of the 20th century.

f

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